Dear Buff Families,

As our valued partners, we wanted to share a message from the Chancellor to our campus community this morning. We are also sharing additional resources and information to help support your student.

From Chancellor DiStefano:

Since we began the two-week stay-at home period for students last week, our COVID-19 cases have started to come down. To continue this downward trend and help protect the health and safety of our Boulder community, our campus will operate under temporary remote-only instruction for all undergraduate, graduate and law classes for a minimum of two weeks beginning Wednesday, Sept. 23. We made this decision in close consultation with local and state public health officials. While the student self-quarantine remains in effect, between Sept. 23 and Oct. 7:

• All undergraduate, graduate and law classes will be taught remotely. 
• Labs, studio and performance classes will be remote, unless approved for an on-campus format by the appropriate college or school dean. 
• Staff currently assigned to work on campus will continue to work on campus. 
• On-campus research will continue and is not affected by this shift. 

Today and tomorrow, classes will continue as planned as faculty make adjustments to prepare for Wednesday.

Read the full message.

On-campus housing

Residence halls, Bear Creek and dining locations will remain open. We want to assure you that your student can continue living on campus. Our operations are not changing, and we will continue to be here to support your student.

During this time, students living on campus are asked to remain in their halls or apartments other than for essential tasks outlined in the county’s stay-at-home/self-quarantine directive.

• For students in the residence halls during this remote learning period:
• Students should continue to follow the county’s stay-at-home directive, wear a face covering when you leaving their room or apartment, not have visitors or guests and complete their weekly saliva monitoring appointment. 
• For students who want to visit home during the two-week remote learning period:
• We strongly encourage students to stay on campus to prevent the spread of the virus. If your student is still planning to return home, please ask them to complete this form to share their plans with us.
• Your student must live within a five hour drive from campus and have their own transportation. Please review and adhere to the public health guidance for traveling home.
• For students who want to move out of the residence halls for the rest of the semester/academic year:
• If a first-year student currently living on campus wants to be released from their housing contract, they may petition for an exemption to the live-on requirement by submitting the Freshman Release form in the MyCULiving portal.
• Students should refer to their housing contract for further information on the process of early termination.

Please review and consider the public health guidance for traveling home

Campus isolation space

• In order to meet community needs, we have expanded the number of isolation spaces that are available for on-campus residents to reduce community spread and care for our students. 
• Isolation spaces are evaluated and considered by public health experts and each space must have proper ventilation and a private bathroom or bathroom separate from those in use by residents who are not COVID-positive. 
• In order to protect the privacy of students in isolation, residents will not be notified that isolation spaces are in use in their building.
• We understand the concern of the possibility of having isolation spaces in buildings with other units. However, our students’ health and well-being are paramount and we are taking all possible precautions. 

Isolation process

• Students who are moving to isolation will receive an email with information about meal delivery, trash collection, fire alarms, who to contact with a facility issue, etc.
• Students need to complete the Student Illness Report form. Completing this form will initiate the dining process and ensure that a student’s dietary needs/restrictions are addressed. 
• Students in isolation will have a “pre-arrival” food box for them. After that pre-arrival food box, one food box with 3 meals is dropped off once a day in a designated location for a student’s isolation space. Students will receive information about food delivery via email.
• We have worked to create dedicated isolation buildings. In limited cases, we may need to isolate students with COVID-19 in buildings where healthy students also live. Our students' health and well-being are paramount. In these instances, we will work with our health and facilities experts to take all possible precautions, including providing private or dedicated restrooms for students in isolation and ensuring proper ventilation for all spaces.

Conduct and behavior expectations

We are appreciative of all of our students who continue to follow public health guidelines and keep each other safe. For students who are not adhering to public safety orders, increased enforcement will continue. Students are required to wear face coverings and to practice physical distancing. Serious public health violations like hosting or attending a large gathering or breaking isolation will result in an interim 10-day suspension pending adjudication through Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution, with the presumptive result being suspension for the remainder of the semester.

• Gatherings of any size are not permitted for students living in Boulder. 
• All students living on campus are required to complete a weekly monitoring appointment.

COVID-19 testing and contact tracing 

Campus testing options are available for students living on and off campus who are symptomatic, as well as those who may have been exposed. Boulder County is also offering COVID-19 testing to all residents.

Any students who have been told by contact tracing or public health officials to isolate or quarantine, including those living in collegiate group homes (e.g., sororities, fraternities, etc.), are not permitted to return home without prior approval by Boulder County Public Health or CU Boulder public health office. 

Support and Resources

• Physical distancing, quarantine and isolation measures can make it harder to stay connected with others. Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) is offering a free virtual COVID-19 workshop series. CAPS is also available for crisis support, brief individual counseling, psychiatry, consultations and other mental health services. Students may also utilize SilverCloud, which is an online portal that offers secure, immediate access to online programs about stress, anxiety and depression.
• Virtual events are a great opportunity to get involved, meet fellow Buffs and have some fun. Students are encouraged to participate in virtual events like workshops, career fairs, DIY nights, mindfulness and more. Visit the Fall Events website for a full list of events. 
• Campus services are still operating and students can continue to find support. Many departments are offering virtual office hours and services. 

We know this is a challenging time for our students and families, and we are here to support you. 

Please reach out to us with any questions,
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